Meth lab discovered at Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Spa

Action News in Jacksonville, Fla. (ActionNewsJax.com), broke a story early this morning on the discovery of an active meth lab found on one of the upper floors of the Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Spa.

This isn't really golf news, other than the fact that the Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Spa sits at the entrance to PGA Tour Headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach and the world-famous TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course, which plays host to the Players Championship.

From the Action News report:

Sgt. Chuck Mulligan (a spokesperson for the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office) tells Action News a man and a woman checked into the resort. The the credit card they used made security suspicious that there could be a fraud issue.

Security went to investigate more, that's when deputies say a security guard noticed equipment that is used for cooking meth. Mulligan says the security guard is a former law enforcement officer who knew the signs of a meth lab and called the Sheriff's Office.

Deputies say the lab was in the process of actively cooking drugs when it was discovered.

Five rooms near the meth lab were evacuated as HAZMAT crews went in to begin the cleaning process. Mulligan says the cleanup was difficult, because the room is on an upper floor and crews had to bring in pipes to pump out potentially hazardous air and chemicals.

Investigators described the lab as a small "one-pot" operation. While the size of the operation may have been small, Action News has learned the danger posed by one of these devices is still high. Small units similar to the one discovered in the resort have the power to blow a hole through a wall. Sgt. Mulligan estimates the cost of the cleanup could be in the tens of thousands of dollars.